NAVI and Aurora meet in the upper-bracket quarter-final of StarLadder StarSeries Fall, with both teams looking for a strong start in Barcelona.

Only one place separates them in the world ranking, with Aurora sitting ninth and NAVI tenth. Neither team arrives in convincing form, but both have maps where they should feel confident. That makes this one of the most evenly matched opening games of the tournament.

NAVI looking to recover after G2 defeat

NAVI have struggled to produce consistent results with their new lineup.

They arrive in Barcelona after a 0–2 defeat against G2, but their previous matches show how difficult they are to predict. NAVI beat paiN and Legacy without dropping a map, while their matches against M80 and The MongolZ both required a third map.

The addition of makazze has given the team more firepower, but the lineup still looks like a work in progress. He joins iM, b1t, w0nderful and Aleksib in a team with enough individual quality to challenge anyone at this event.

Mirage stands out as NAVI’s strongest option in the veto. They have won two of their three matches on the map with this lineup, while Aurora have been less consistent there.

If NAVI can start the series on a comfortable map, they should be capable of taking at least one.

Aurora have their own maps to work with

Aurora have also produced mixed results over the last few weeks.

They beat both M80 and DENDELE 2–0, but suffered defeats against G2 and FURIA. Their latest match against G2 ended 2–1, showing that they can compete with strong opposition without quite finishing the job.

The arrival of Jimpphat added another strong individual player alongside XANTARES, Wicadia and woxic. Kyxsan now has several players capable of taking control of a map, but Aurora are still trying to find consistency with the new lineup.

Their map pool gives them a clear route into this series. Aurora have won five of their six matches on Nuke and five of seven on Anubis during the last three months.

NAVI have played very little on either map with their current lineup. Aurora should therefore have at least one pick where they enter with more recent experience and stronger results.

The veto could produce three maps

NAVI are expected to remove Cache, while Aurora will probably take Ancient out of the pool.

That should leave Mirage available for NAVI. Aurora can then respond with either Nuke or Anubis, two maps where they have performed well recently.

The teams have already met several times this year. Their meetings at PGL Cluj-Napoca and IEM Rio both went to a third map, with NAVI winning 2–1 on both occasions.

NAVI have historically controlled this matchup, but Aurora’s current lineup is different from the team they faced earlier in the season. Jimpphat gives them another reliable player, while NAVI are still searching for stability after their own changes.

Verdict

There is not enough consistency on either side to trust the match winner.

NAVI should have an advantage on Mirage, but Aurora’s recent results on Nuke and Anubis give them a strong chance of answering on their own pick. Both teams have enough individual quality to win a map, without either looking reliable enough to dominate the entire series.

The map veto should give each side an opportunity, making a deciding third map the best angle for this match.

Tip

Over 2.5 maps